a tale of two say anythings, pt. 2: the lloyd dobler effect

I’m not old. I’m not. So why is the 20th anniversary of Say Anything… making me feel so overwhelmingly nostalgic? Yes, it’s a movie I love, but I was only a few years old when it came out, and I haven’t watched it in years. I only remembered certain plot details after perusing the film’s IMDB page.

And yet. There’s something timeless about the movie, which young writer-director Cameron Crowe knocked out of the park back in April of 1989. The dialogue is magnificent, and some of main character Lloyd Dobler’s lines are so heart-wrenching, I actually ache for him.

Sure, there’s Lloyd’s famous summation, “I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen.” But what really got me as I browsed the movie’s quotes page — which is fantastic, by the way; damn, Crowe is good — was this:

“And one more thing — about the letter. Nuke it. Flame it. Destroy it. It hurts me to know it’s out there.”

While some said this publicity stunt smacked ever so slightly of desperation, it was actually the perfect way to promote the film’s latest re-release. Lloyd, too, was desperate when he stood outside Diane’s window. And the ensuing wave of nostalgia that surely washed over any female who witnessed the event is almost certain to create a rush for this package. I know that I’m itching to own the movie now.

The Lloyd Dobler Effect. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Tell me, dear readers: what’s your favorite part of Say Anything…? Would Lloyd’s boombox trick work on you? Would you ever date a guy that wears a trenchcoat, anyway? And is 1989 John Cusack not the most adorable, fresh-faced thing you’ve ever seen? Answer these questions — or just say anything — in the comments.